Welcome back to Cincinnati.com's Monday recap of our top sports headlines and others you might have missed over the weekend.

In today's edition, we begin with the Cincinnati Reds.

Reds will look for 'best deal' at trade deadline

The Enquirer sat down recently with Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations Dick Williams to discuss moves the club could make before Major League Baseball's trade deadline on July 31.

Here's more from Reds beat writer John Fay (@johnfayman) and the Williams interview:

He wouldn’t go into specifics, of course, but Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams says the general plan for the Reds is different going into this trade deadline.

Basically, they’ll be shopping for players who can help at the big league level now.

“For the first time in a while — and I’m not saying something will definitely happen by the deadline — but we are open to adding,” Willians said. “We’re going to start moving into the building mode at the deadline and this offseason.”

The Reds are not going to get back into contention this year, so they’ll focus on players who will be around for 2019 and beyond the July 31 deadline.

“If we were going to do something, it would be with a longer-term focus in mind,” Williams said. “It would be a controllable asset that would be with us for a few years. That could be a pitcher, that could be a position player.”

“Controllable” in baseball terms means players with limited big-league service time. Players don’t become eligible for arbitration for three years and don’t become eligible for free agency for six years.

...

“At the deadline, we don’t like to feel forced into doing anything,” Williams said. “We’re just going to look for really good deals for the players we have, where we can make a deal that makes us better on long-term.

“I don’t see us feeling like we’ve got to make any moves. We don’t have to make any moves because of budget constraints. We don’t have to make any moves because of feeling pressure to create opportunities. I feel like we can look for the best deal.”

Reds pitcher Anthony DeSclafani discusses his third-inning grand slam in an 11-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. It was the first grand slam by a Reds pitcher since 1959.
The Enquirer/Bobby Nightengale

Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green said he won't be asking for a new contract as contracts explode around the league.(Photo: Cara Owsley/The Enquirer)

Bengals' star receiver isn't chasing the Green

Since signing a four-year, $60 million extension ($15 million annually) in September 2015, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green has seen fellow wideouts on other teams surpass him in annual earnings.

Meanwhile, there’s Green, watching it all from afar and frankly paying it no mind.

“I think the biggest thing for me, I’m always comfortable with stuff I’m doing – I signed a deal and I’m comfortable with the deal and I just live with it,” he told The Enquirer. “After that’s up, we go back to the board. I don’t really get caught up in what’s the money like because I signed my deal and it was the highest paid at that point. It’s going to always go up. So you can’t keep up with that.”

He’ll turn 30 years old just after the start of training camp and Green – just like he did in 2014 and the summer of 2015 – is more than happy to quietly go about his business and worry about his next contract when that time comes. And not a second before.

“For me, I just keep everything simple,” he said. “I really don’t try to get into all that other stuff. At the end of the day I just want to play football. I got my contract. I’m set for life. Now I can just go out there and play.”

Green, a seven-time Pro Bowler, still has much to accomplish individually. He’s never caught 100 passes. He’s never been an All-Pro. He’s never led the league in any receiving category. So for him, 2018 is about rebounding from an uneven 2017 and an injury-shortened 2016 by being healthy and focused heading into his eighth training camp.

“I feel great,” he said. “These last two days (of minicamp) is the best my body’s felt in a long time. I’ve got another six years in me I feel like. A long time. I’ll be ready.

“I know the work I put in every summer and I can live with the results."

In week 9 of the 1994 season, Jeff Blake made his first start for the Bengals against the Dallas Cowboys. Blake threw two long TDs to WR Darnay Scott. The Bengals didn’t win the game, but something started to click. The “Shake n’ Blake" was born.
The Enquirer/Mike Nyerges

Some Western &amp; Southern Open patrons will find new vantage points to view world-class tennis at the 2018 event, such as this one from atop a new luxury seating area in the new grandstand at the Lindner Family Tennis Center's Center Court.(Photo: Pat Brennan / The Enquirer)